Pipe cleaner



Nov'. 21, 1939. F Smm 2,180,437 I PIPE CLEANER Filed sept. 18,` 1936 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 21S, 1939 TENT GFFICE PIPE CLEANER Clifford F. 'Smitli,Sioux Falls, S. Dak., assigner to Wolverine Brass Works-Grand Rapids,Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application September 18, 1936, SerialNo. 101,376

4 Claims.

The instant invention relates to pipe cleaners and more particularly toa pipe cleaner which is especially well adapted for cleaning sedimentarydeposits from waste water pipes.

5 The primary objects of the present invention are to provide a pipecleaner of the general character above indicated having a ball andsocket joint between the head and the cable portion thereof; to. providesuch a pipe cleaner whose l socket portion is provided with an externalshoulder adapted to engage within an annular groove in the shank of theball portion for relieving the strain on the ball and socket joint ininstances wherein the thrust between the ball and its socket 15 is at anangle; and, to provide such a pipe cleaner which is economical inmanufacture, utilitarian in use and which has novel features over thatof the universal joint pipe cleaner shown*k and described in UnitedStates Letters Patent No. 1,431',-

20 277 issued November 14, 1922, to Albert A. Brooks.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the pipe cleaner;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View thereof 25 on line 2-2 of Figure1, the shank portion of the ball forming a part of the ball and socketjoint being shown in dotted lines as swung to one extreme position; and

Figure 3 is a view showing the manner in which the pipe cleaner isforced through a curved piece of waste water piping when it is desiredto rid the piping of sedimentary deposits therein.

Referring then to the drawing in which like parts of theI device shownare designated by the 35 same numerals in the several views, the pipecleaner there shown comprises a head having a base portion I0 of anysuitable material and a pair of outwardly projecting bowed members Il,I2 here shown as crossing each other transversely at an angle, whoserespective opposite ends are secured to or are integral with the baseportion.

The base portion IB of the head is provided with a spherical socket ISopen at the end thereof opposite the bowed portions I I, I2 andcircumscribed by an external peripheral flange I4.

A ball I5 disposed within the socket I4 and rotatably embraced by thewalls thereof is provided with a cable coupling shank I6 which is 50provided with an annular groove Il adjacent its connection with the ballI5.

A iiexib-le cable I8, preferably flat as shown in Figure 3, has acoupling connection I9 adapting i1; to be detachably coupled with thecoupling 55 shank I6 in any suitable manner as by the pin (Cil. -104.30)

2G passing through the apertured coupling connection IS and the shankIt.

Waste water pipes 2| and the like in which sedimentary deposits haveaccumulated may thus be cleaned with a minimum of friction by forcing 5the pipe cleaner head I0 therethrough, the bowed portions II, I2 thereofcutting and scraping the inner walls of the pipe 2l during thepermissible rotation of the head IIJ and its coupling shank I6 whichoperation is more efcient than is the op- 10 eration of the limiteduniversal joint connection 2I between the head 2U and the coupling shankI8 of the pipe cleaner of the prior patent referred to above.

As shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 wherein l5 the coupling shank I6 isrotated at angle to the head II] in instances wherein the head I0 isbeing forced through a curved pipe 2| as indicated in Figure 3, theannular groove I'I engages the peripheral ange lll to strengthen andreinforce the ball and socket joint against buckling and relieve it ofundue strain. Deposits of sediment cut and scraped from the inner wallsof the pipe may thus be flushed through and past the open head of thepipe cleaner.

It will thus be seen that the pipe cleaner herein shown and described iseconomical in manufacture, utilitarian inuse, and has novel featuresvover the pipe cleaner shown and described in the prior patent referredto above. 30

While but one specic embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown anddescribed herein, it will be understood that certain of the details ofthe construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing fromthe spirit of the invention dened in the following claims.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, a base member provided with aspherical socket and having a pair of forwardly projecting pipe clean-40 ing bowed members crossing each other at an angle, and a balluniversally turnably disposed within the socket provided with arearwardly projecting cable connecting shank.

2. In a device of the class described, a base member provided with anopen spherical socket circumscribed by a rearwardly projectingperipheral flange and having a pair of forwardly projecting pipecleaning bowed members crossing each other at an angle, and a balluniversally turnably disposed within the socket provided with arearwardly projecting cable connecting shank having an annular grooveadjacent the ball adapted to permissively engage said ilange.

3. In a device of the class described, a base member provided with anopen spherical socket circumscribed by a rearwardly projectingperipheral ange, a pair of forwardly projecting circularly bowed membershaving their rearward ends set into said base member and their forwardends crossing each other at substantially right angles; a balluniversally turnably disposed within the -sockefl'l provided with arearwardly projecting shank having an annular groove adjacent the balladapted to permissively engage said iiange, said shank having also a pindetachably mounted therein and adapting the shank for detachable pivotalconnection to a flexible cable.

4. In a device or the class described, a base

